History of Woodfield Mall in Timeline
Woodfield Mall, located in Schaumburg, Illinois, is the largest shopping mall in Illinois and one of the largest in the United States. Situated near the intersection of Golf Road and Interstate 290, it boasts a wide selection of retailers, including well-known names such as JCPenney, Macy's, Nordstrom, and Primark.
October 1969: Construction Begins
Construction of Woodfield Mall commenced in October 1969.
1970: Population Growth
The population of Schaumburg, the village where Woodfield Mall is located, was 19,000 in 1970.
July 30, 1971: Cinema Opening
A 5-plex cinema opened at Woodfield Mall on July 30, 1971.
September 9, 1971: Grand Opening
Woodfield Mall opened its doors on September 9, 1971, with 59 stores. It was considered the largest mall in the United States at the time.
September 1971: Post-Opening Expansion
By the end of September 1971, Woodfield Mall had added 28 more stores and restaurants, ending its first year with 138 specialty retailers.
1973: Expansion and Growth
By 1973, Woodfield Mall expanded to 189 stores, encompassing 1.9 million square feet of retail space. A 135-foot water tower was also erected to serve the mall and the nearby village.
1973: New Wing and Retailers
In 1973, a new wing featuring Lord & Taylor was added to Woodfield Mall, along with 50 additional retailers.
1980: Population Boom
Schaumburg's population experienced significant growth, reaching 55,000 by 1980.
1984: Sbarro Opens
Sbarro opened a location at Woodfield Mall in 1984.
1985: A&W Opens
A&W opened a location at Woodfield Mall in 1985.
1991: 20th Anniversary Expansion
In celebration of its 20th anniversary in 1991, Woodfield Mall added 23 new stores, including The Disney Store.
1991: One Schaumburg Place Opens
One Schaumburg Place, an indoor mall, opened in 1991. It was later replaced by the Streets of Woodfield.
1993: Woodfield Village Green Opens
Woodfield Village Green, an outdoor shopping center, opened across the street from Woodfield Mall in late 1993.
October 1994: Parking Garage and TGI Fridays
A three-story parking garage connected to Marshall Field's opened in October 1994. TGI Fridays opened northwest of the mall in the same year.
1995: Expansion, Rainforest Cafe, and Hooters
In 1995, Woodfield Mall underwent a $110 million expansion, adding 50 new specialty stores, including Rainforest Cafe. Hooters also opened in the surrounding area that year.
1995: Water Tower Repainting
The Woodfield Mall water tower underwent a complete repainting in 1995. The project involved draining the tower, cleaning and treating rust spots, and applying a new paint scheme with a light gray base and four teal "W"s.
1996: Nordstrom and Lord & Taylor
In 1996, Woodfield Mall welcomed a three-level Nordstrom and a larger replacement Lord & Taylor.
June 1997: Stir Crazy Opens
A Stir Crazy restaurant opened between Sears and Marshall Field's in June 1997.
November 18, 1998: IKEA Opens
IKEA opened a three-story location across from Woodfield Mall on November 18, 1998.
December 10, 1999: Loews Theatres Debut
The Loews Theatres, a 20-screen complex, opened at the Streets of Woodfield, an outdoor shopping center adjacent to Woodfield Mall, on December 10, 1999.
1999: DSW and Linens 'n Things Open
DSW and Linens 'n Things opened outside Woodfield Mall, east of Sears and Marshall Field's, in 1999.
2000: Continued Population Growth
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Schaumburg's population surpassed 75,000 in 2000.
2000: 5-plex Cinema Closure
The Woodfield Mall Cinemas 5-plex closed in 2000. The space was briefly occupied by a theme restaurant called Mars 2112 before becoming an Improv Comedy Club in 2006.
August 24, 2001: Apple Store Opens
An Apple Store opened in the Lord & Taylor wing of Woodfield Mall on August 24, 2001.
September 18, 2002: Torrid Opens
Torrid opened on the second floor of the JCPenney wing at Woodfield Mall on September 18, 2002.
2003: Lego Store Opens
A Lego Store, one of seven "prototype" stores across the United States, opened at Woodfield Mall in 2003.
2004: Mall Renovations
Fountains, a waterfall, and aquariums were removed from Woodfield Mall in 2004.
2005: Water Tower Repainting and Restaurants
The Woodfield Mall water tower was repainted again in 2005, ten years after its previous repaint. P.F. Chang's China Bistro and Texas de Brazil also opened at the mall that year.
September 2006: Marshall Field's Becomes Macy's
Following the acquisition of Marshall Field's by Macy's, the Woodfield Mall location was renamed in September 2006.
2006: Improv Comedy Club Opens
The space formerly occupied by the Woodfield Mall Cinemas 5-plex was converted into an Improv Comedy Club in 2006, marking the first location in Illinois.
2008: Linens 'n Things Closes
Linens 'n Things at Woodfield Mall officially closed in 2008.
March 26, 2010: Ashley Furniture Opens
Ashley Furniture opened in the space previously occupied by Linens 'n Things, which closed in 2008, on March 26, 2010.
June 2012: McDonald's Renovation
A McDonald's at Woodfield Mall was renovated in June 2012.
October 2012: LongHorn Steakhouse Opens
LongHorn Steakhouse opened on the northeast corner outside of Woodfield Mall in October 2012.
2012: Ruby Tuesday Closes
Ruby Tuesday closed its doors in Woodfield Mall in 2012, making way for Uncle Julio's to take its place in 2016.
December 31, 2012: Management Change
On December 31, 2012, Taubman Centers ended its management of Woodfield Mall after GM Pension Trusts sold its stake to Simon Property Group.
January 1, 2013: New Management
Simon Property Group took over management of Woodfield Mall on January 1, 2013, following the acquisition of a stake previously held by GM Pension Trusts.
2013: New Stores Open
Forever 21 and a two-story H&M opened in the Sears wing of Woodfield Mall in 2013.
2013: Escalator Malfunction at Nordstrom
In 2013, an escalator malfunctioned inside Nordstrom at Woodfield Mall, injuring three senior citizens who were then transported to the hospital in stable condition.
June 2014: Lululemon and Arhaus Open
Lululemon and Arhaus opened in the Lord & Taylor and Nordstrom wings of Woodfield Mall in June 2014.
January 2015: Renovation Announcement
In January 2015, Woodfield Mall announced a $13.8 million renovation project. The project included an updated grand court, new flooring, and the replacement and addition of elevators. The renovation was expected to be completed by the end of the year.
2015: Level 257 Opens
A portion of the second level of Sears at Woodfield Mall was subleased to Level 257 (now Enterrium), a Pac-Man-themed restaurant and entertainment venue, in 2015. The mall also saw the opening of Zara, Timberland, Kids Foot Locker, and rue21.
2016: Loews Theatres Rebranding
The Loews Theatres complex at the Streets of Woodfield was rebranded as AMC Theatres in 2016.
2016: Uncle Julio's Opens
Uncle Julio's replaced Ruby Tuesday in the JCPenney wing of Woodfield Mall in 2016.
2017: Renovations and New Dining Pavilion
Woodfield Mall underwent renovations in 2017, including a substantial remodel of Victoria's Secret. A new food court called the "Dining Pavilion" opened on the second floor, featuring restaurants like Chipotle Mexican Grill and Blaze Pizza. This replaced F.Y.E., which moved to a smaller location.
2017: Joe's Crab Shack Closure
Joe's Crab Shack, which opened at Woodfield Mall in 1997, was one of 41 locations in the chain to close in 2017.
2017: New Food Court in Sears Wing
Woodfield Mall underwent a $14 million renovation in 2017 to create a new food court in the Sears wing. The food court offered seating for 820 people and featured fast-casual restaurants such as Chipotle Mexican Grill, Charley's Philly Steaks, and Blaze Fast Fire'd Pizza.
October 2018: New Stores Open
Woodfield Mall welcomed new stores in October 2018, including Blocks to Bricks, a Lego and construction toy store, and Uniqlo, a Japanese clothing chain. A salon was also added to the Sears wing.
2018: Carson's Closure
Carson's at the Streets of Woodfield closed in 2018.
September 8, 2019: Unrelated Arson Charge
Javier Garcia was charged with an unrelated arson case that occurred on September 8, 2019, in Palatine, Illinois.
September 20, 2019: Car Drives Through Sears Entrance
On September 20, 2019, a man drove a Chevrolet Trailblazer through the Sears entrance at Woodfield Mall, crashing into kiosks and stores. The incident led to a temporary lockdown and evacuation but resulted in no injuries. The driver was apprehended by police.
September 29, 2019: Suspect Charged with Terrorism
Javier Garcia, the man who drove through the Sears entrance at Woodfield Mall, was charged with terrorism. He appeared in court on September 29, 2019, and was denied bond.
October 1, 2019: Suspect Appears in Court
Javier Garcia made another court appearance on October 1, 2019, following the Woodfield Mall incident.
October 2019: Shake Shack Opens
Shake Shack opened its doors outside of Woodfield Mall in October 2019.
December 2019: Molly's Cupcakes Opens
Molly's Cupcakes joined the Nordstrom wing of Woodfield Mall in December 2019.
2019: A&W Closure
The A&W location at Woodfield Mall closed in 2019.
January 27, 2020: Court Date Scheduled
Javier Garcia's next court appearance was scheduled for January 27, 2020.
August 2020: Lord & Taylor Closes
Upscale retailer Lord & Taylor closed all of its physical stores, including the one at Woodfield Mall, in August 2020 due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
2020: Rainforest Cafe Closes
The Rainforest Cafe at Woodfield Mall closed in 2020 and was replaced by Peppa Pig's World of Play.
September 2021: Sears Closure Announcement
In September 2021, Sears announced it would be closing its Woodfield Mall location as part of its ongoing strategy to phase out its traditional stores.
November 14, 2021: Sears Closes
After 50 years at Woodfield Mall, Sears closed its doors on November 14, 2021, as part of the company's decision to eliminate its traditional brick-and-mortar format. This marked the closure of the last Sears store in Illinois.
2021: The Disney Store Closes
The Disney Store at Woodfield Mall closed in 2021.
September 11, 2022: Escalator Malfunction at JCPenney
On September 11, 2022, an escalator malfunction at JCPenney in Woodfield Mall resulted in injuries to a person's leg and finger. The injured individual was taken to the hospital.
October 12, 2023: Primark Opens
Primark opened a store on the upper level of the former Sears location in Woodfield Mall on October 12, 2023.
November 2023: Radio Flyer Opens First Retail Store
After 106 years, Radio Flyer opened its first retail store in Woodfield Mall in November 2023, following an announcement in August of the same year.
2023: New Stores Open After Lockdown
Following the government lockdown, Woodfield Mall welcomed a wave of new stores in 2023. These included Miniso, Radio Flyer, Abercrombie & Fitch, Gilly Hicks, Showcase, Lovisa, Offline by Aerie, Earthbound, Athleta, Warby Parker, and The North Face.